Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2000, Page 80

Description:	^~^>J tudents wearing baseball caps and tennis shoes line the^i^^ football field. With shiny brass instruments and largel^^^k grins, they begin to march. Not the traditional marchingr^—W way, but a new way. A way that judges were having a hardtime accepting.Other schools are more traditional. Theyre really, really rigidand strict and play more classical pieces. Ours is completelyopposite. We wear baseball caps and tennis shoes while theywear those caps with the feather and marching band shoes,junior Emily Thrasher said.This new way took its toll on the marching band inaccepted more and more, McGregor said.Every Saturday, during competitions, the band members wouldbe really relaxed and enjoy themselves.The contests were our favorite part, freshman MelissaYoung said. The bus rides to where we were going were funbecause of the people.Thrasher agreed that the bus rides were the best part.The seniors would bring this huge PA system and hook it upto a CD player. They would play all kinds of music, but just whenyou think youve figured out what they were going to play nextthey would play something else, she said.Marching to the Beatof Their Own DrumOr\o\\na\\t\\ brings closeness to Marchiriq f^and k\| Heather Emersoncompetitions. Many judges had mixed feelings about the bandsstyle. Some judges would mark ones, which are good, whileothers would mark fours or fives, which are bad. SophomoreSasha Divine didnt think things were improving with the judges.I dont think it is getting any better because the judges areold and listen to classical music. Were the only extreme bandout there, and we get marked down for it, Divine said.Senior Dan McGregor disagreed and believed that the style ismaking progress. I think what were doing is beginning to beDuring one particular bus ride to one of the last competitions,the tire on the truck that carried the equipment blew out. Theyturned into a church parking lot to change the tire in the rain.They were late to their competition and had to play in theirstreet clothes. The tire became a trophy and was hung in theband room with Christmas lights strung around it. Even after allof that, they still had a good time.Its great, Divine said. Great to be with friends and get toknow people a lot better than during the school hours.Junior Megan Rudicil and sophomoreKelli Riggins dance at a game. TheMarching Band performed duringhalftime at home football games.Photo Courtesy of Charles SavageThe Panther Regiment takes a dancebreak from playing their instruments.They were participating in a competitionat Floyd Central High School.During halftime at a home football game,freshman Ben Graves and senior TrevorSnow perform in the Panther Regiment.The band members wore untraditionalbaseball caps and tennis shoes forperformances and competitions.David WonderDavid Wonder\ 80 Gothic***»^«B«^NOVEMBER DECEMBER 1999
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/6592
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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